WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura has confirmed the passing of a Japanese wrestling legend.
The current WWE star took to X late on Thursday. He paid tribute to wrestling veteran Osamu Nishimura on his passing, saying that Nishimura was like an older brother to him:
“Rest in peace, Osamu Nishimura. You were as kind as an older brother and taught me so many things?”
Rest in peace, Osamu Nishimura. You were as kind as an older brother and taught me so many things? pic.twitter.com/jgCC9yQls1
Nishimura began his wrestling training in 1990 while still in high school when he joined New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo. He made his official debut after a year’s training, losing to Takayuki Iizuka in his first match. He then went on a foreign excursion to US.
The wrestling veteran would continue traveling between Japan and other countries throughout his career, primarily wrestling for different promotions in the US. He wrestled for many NWA territories in the 90s and also unsuccessfully challenged Shane Douglas for the ECW World Title.
In Japan, he had long runs with both NJPW and AJPW, even wrestling Ric Flair in a high-profile match that he lost back in 1996.
The late star was diagnosed with stage-four esophageal cancer in March 2024. Despite the struggles, he kept his spirits high and even teamed with Dory Funk, Jr. for the latter’s retirement match in August 2024.
Shinsuke Nakamura embraces Japanese culture in his gimmick and it is quite evident from his style. He recently donned a spectacular Kabuto mask at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames PLE.
On social media, artist Jason Baker revealed details behind the creation. In a post on social media, Baker revealed that he, Brian McGuire, and Ambria Pierson were responsible for creating the incredible-looking mask.
Baker, an accomplished special effects artist with nearly 20 years of experience, has created masks for several WWE superstars including Bray Wyatt’s The Fiend, Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 skull mask and Rhea Ripley’s horror-themed mask also worn at Survivor Series this past weekend.
‘The King of Strong Style’ captured the title for the third time in his career. He put an end to The Megastar’s title run which began at WWE SummerSlam in August when he won against Logan Paul.
Pro Wrestling NOAH pushed Nakamura’s US title win ahead of his return to the promotion when he faces Ulka Sasaki at NOAH’s New Year’s event. The match will take place on January 1st, 2025 at Budokan Hall. With significant changes in Shinsuke Nakamura’s presentation and recent title win, it seems he is trying to reclaim his spot as a top star in WWE.
Shinsuke Nakamura didn’t just win the WWE U.S. Champion at Survivor Series: WarGames, but the new champion joined a very elite club as well. The Japanese star won the gold for the third time in his career at WWE’s latest PLE with a win over LA Knight. The Megastar had held the title since WWE SummerSlam in August, ending the lengthy reign of Logan Paul.
With his win, Nakamura has become the fourth wrestler to win the United States Title in both the United States and Canada. The King of Strong Style joins a legendary list of Superstars, including:
Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat: Charleston, South Carolina, and Toronto, Ontario
Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart: Salt Lake City, Utah, Fargo, North Dakota, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Phoenix, Arizona, and Toronto, Ontario
Rey Mysterio: Hartford, Connecticut, Rosemont, Illinois, and Calgary, Alberta
H/T to @WWEStats for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.
Nakamura’s win comes mere weeks after his return to WWE TV following a lengthy hiatus in 2024. Now, the Japanese star is ready to bring his new, eerie persona to WWE SmackDown and PLEs as the brand-new United States Champion.
WWE Survivor Series: WarGames
WWE Survivor Series: WarGames is taking place from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The card for the show is as follows:
Team Belair (Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Bayley, IYO SKY, and Naomi) def. Team Jax (Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Candice LeRae, and Tiffany Stratton) (Women’s WarGames Match)
Shinsuke Nakamura def. LA Knight (c) (WWE United States Championship)
Bron Breakker (c) def. Sheamus and . Ludwig Kaiser (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
GUNTHER (c) def. Damian Priest (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Roman Reigns, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), Sami Zayn, and CM Punk (with Paul Heyman) def. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa) and Bronson Reed (Men’s WarGames Match)
Fans at this weekend’s Survivor Series: WarGames PLE will see plenty of title match action when WWE comes to Winnipeg, Manitoba.
On the latest episode of Monday Night Raw, Wade Barrett shared that he had some ‘bad news’ to deliver to the WWE Universe. The Brit’s bad news was that LA Knight would defend his United States Title at Survivor Series: WarGames against Shinsuke Nakamura.
The King of Strong Style returned a few weeks ago on SmackDown by attacking Knight and has repeatedly had the upper hand on the Megastar. Knight has held the gold since SummerSlam in August, where he ended the lengthy reign of Logan Paul.
Men’s WarGames Match Roman Reigns, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), Sami Zayn, and CM Punk vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa) and Bronson Reed
Women’s WarGames Match Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi, and Iyo Sky vs. The Judgment Day (Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez), Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae
WWE World Heavyweight Championship GUNTHER (c) vs. Damian Priest
WWE Intercontinental Championship Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser
WWE United States Championship LA Knight (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.
Shinsuke Nakamura made a surprise return to WWE television on this week’s episode of SmackDown. The show featured LA Knight successfully defending his WWE United States Championship against Humberto. However, the celebration was short-lived as Nakamura ambushed Knight from behind, making a bold statement upon his return.
While WWE has not officially announced when Nakamura will challenge Knight for the US Title, his actions suggest a brewing rivalry.
Nakamura has been absent from WWE television since April 22, when he faced Sheamus on Raw. Since then, he has only participated in dark matches and house shows, including appearances on the European tour in August ahead of Bash in Berlin. Reports indicate that WWE had no creative plans for Nakamura during this hiatus, leaving him off television for an extended period.
Fans can also look forward to Nakamura’s international appearance in January 2025, when he is scheduled to face Ulka Sasaki.
Wrestling legend Shinsuke Nakamura may finally be making his return to WWE programming this week after an unexplained six months absence.
The Japanese star was last seen on WWE TV during the April 22 episode of Raw. He suffered a loss at the hands of Sheamus at the show. Shinsuke was then drafted to the SmackDown roster but he is yet to make an appearance on the brand since then.
Nakamura has stayed active in the ring in this time. He has competed on WWE tours of Japan, Germany and UK as well as live events in US. This has made his on-screen absence even more puzzling for fans.
The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion is set to be present at this Friday’s SmackDown tapings from Barclays Center in NYC, according to PWinsider.
Apart from the live show, the company is also going to tape next week’s episode of SmackDown on the same night. This is in preparation for their upcoming Saudi tour for Crown Jewel on November 2. It may be the night Nakamura finally makes his return on the Blue Branded show.
AJ Styles had been on a similar course to Shinsuke Nakamura. After staying off screen for more than four months, the Phenomenal One returned to SmackDown earlier in October. The former champion unfortunately suffered a serious injury in his return match, halting plans for what was described as his ‘retirement tour.’
It’s unknown what the company is planning for Nakamura upon his return but it’s possible that we might see him getting involved in an angle concerning the upcoming Saudi PPV.
Shinsuke Nakamura is set to return to Pro Wrestling NOAH on New Year’s Day. Nakamura will face Ulka Sasaki in a highly anticipated singles match on January 1, 2025, at NOAH The New Year. This marks Nakamura’s first appearance for NOAH since January 2023, when he famously defeated The Great Muta (Keiji Muto) as part of Muta’s retirement tour.
The announcement of Nakamura’s return was made during Pro Wrestling NOAH’s October 14th event at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
🚨 #WWE star @ShinsukeN returns to the NOAH ring on 1 January!!
Nakamura: "NOAH, it's been a while. After that miraculous fight, WWE’s SHINSUKE NAKAMURA will return to Nippon Budokan on New Year's Day! Who will be standing in front of me?”#noah_ghcpic.twitter.com/QOICUVzujD
Despite an active year, Nakamura has struggled with a disappointing 3–38 record, though the majority of these matches have been non-televised. Earlier this year, he headlined a major feud with Cody Rhodes, which included intense Street Fights and Bullrope matches. Nakamura also made multiple unsuccessful challenges for the WWE Universal and United States Titles.
Throughout the year, Nakamura has faced top talent such as LA Knight, Sheamus, Ilja Dragunov, and Sami Zayn. Additionally, he has represented WWE in international events across Japan, Germany, and Europe.
Shinsuke Nakamura, one of WWE’s most captivating performers, has recently been absent from television, leaving fans questioning his current status. Let’s delve into the reasons behind his disappearance and what the future may hold for the King of Strong Style.
No Injuries Behind Nakamura’s Absence
Contrary to popular speculation, Shinsuke Nakamura is not dealing with any injuries. According to Sean Ross Sapp during his Q&A podcast on Fightful Select, Nakamura is healthy and has been working WWE’s overseas tours. However, despite his availability, WWE has not included him in their current televised programming.
Last Match Details
Nakamura’s most recent in-ring appearance occurred on August 29, 2024, during WWE’s Road to Bash in Berlin event in Frankfurt. He participated in a four-way match for the United States Championship, which saw LA Knight successfully retain the title. The bout also featured Ludwig Kaiser and Sheamus, further showcasing Nakamura’s enduring presence in WWE, despite his lack of TV time.
WWE’s Booking Strategy for Nakamura
WWE’s decision to keep Nakamura off television is more about booking strategy than physical limitations. With a crowded roster and limited airtime, not every superstar can be consistently featured on weekly programming. While this may frustrate fans, it’s not uncommon for WWE to cycle talent in and out of television appearances.
Potential Future Plans
With Triple H at the helm of WWE’s creative direction, there’s still hope that Nakamura could be pushed back into a prominent role, potentially even into the main event scene. While he has yet to capture a world title on WWE’s main roster, Nakamura’s fans remain hopeful that a major opportunity is on the horizon.
In the meantime, Nakamura appears to be living his best life outside the ring, even making a recent appearance at a UFC event, further indicating that his absence from WWE television is temporary and not due to any personal or professional issues.
Konosuke Takeshita has taken the mantle as a leader of Strong Style Wrestling after being bequeathed the honor by an undisclosed mentor in America. Speaking during the ongoing G1 Climax after his victory over HENARE and Jeff Cobb, the AEW star spoke about being entrusted with the intracicies of Strong Style Wrestling.
“I have a mentor in America. That mentor has entrusted me with leading the wrestling world, entrusted me with Strong Style. Who’s my mentor? Can’t tell you yet. YeaOh!”
Though Takeshita didn’t name his mentor in America, fans have been led to believe it could be WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura. Not only is Nakamura known as the ‘King of Strong Style, but he used ‘yeaoh!’ as a signature phrase during his lengthy time with New Japan. The hand gesture Takeshita used at the end of the promo also appeared remiscient of the former WWE NXT Champion. Earlier this year, Nakamura and Takeshita were seen together with the All-Elite talent sharing a selfie with a ‘fan’ online.
What is Strong Style?
Strong Style Wrestling blends real fighting moves into a pro-wrestling performance to make the various strikes look as legitimately painful as possible. The term dates back to Antonio Inoki who was billed as a strong style fighter in New Japan for matches where he’d fight kickboxers and martial artists. Inoki used this style for his 1976 fight with Muhammad Ali that was watched by an estimated 1.4 billion people.
WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura will have quite the role to play at the upcoming UFC 303 event, in the latest sign of synergy between the two companies.
In an interview with Mizugaki Takeya, fighter Tsuruya Rei spoke of his debut match for UFC at this week’s event. Rei revealed during the interview that WWE’s resident King of Strong Style will be in his corner for the upcoming fight with Carlos Hernandez The fight will be a part of the early preliminary card and broadcast on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Wednesday, March 27. WWE NXT added a big triple threat title match to their Stand & Deliver event last night, and there’s a lot more to get into.
Days Until WrestleMania 40: 10
WWE:
– WWE RAW Ratings: RAW averaged 1.729 million viewers for their 3/25 episode from Chicago. This number is up from last week, when RAW averaged 1.687 million viewers. They also garnered a .57 rating in the coveted 18 to 49 demographic this week.
– Indefinite Hiatus: Ridge Holland announced during WWE NXT this week that he is stepping away from the ring. It was later confirmed by Sean Ross Sapp that this is all a work and not really a retirement of any kind.
– AEW x WWE Friendship: AEW star Konosuke Takeshita was recently spotted with Shinsuke Nakamura. The King of Strong Style posted a photo of the two on his Twitter/X account. It appears that they had a good meeting.
Kazuchika Okada’s arrival in All Elite Wrestling has had the wrestling world talking following this week’s edition of Dynamite.
On the most recent edition of AEW Dynamite, the Young Bucks were furious following their loss to Sting & Darby Allin at AEW Revolution 2024. The EVPs exercised their authority by suspending ‘Hangman’ Adam Page and firing Kenny Omega.
AEW President Tony Khan took great pleasure in response to a tweet alleging that Okada was set to debut for WWE in January of this year as part of the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
Khan would also confirm Okada’s status by sharing the All Elite graphic while adding that the Rainmaker is a ‘business partner’ of Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) March 7, 2024
TNA Wrestling, who have often made use of Search Engine Optimization, shared a video of Okada taking on Generation Me (the future Young Bucks) during a TNA Xplosion match from 2010.
Check out Kazuchika Okada and Homicide vs. Generation Me from Xplosion in 2010.
There is no love lost between Cody Rhodes and his arch-rival Shinsuke Nakamura.
‘The American Nightmare’ was recently at the end of a brutal attack from the Japanese superstar. Rhodes was involved at Saturday’s live event at Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, TN where he faced Nakamura in a Street Fight. It was at the same event that Cody Rhodes shared a heartwarming moment with a fan. Though he came out on top in the match, things didn’t go in his favor when he got backstage.
Rhodes and Nakamura had been involved in a storied-rivalry last year. The two have locked horns multiple times over the last two months, with Rhodes defeating Nakamura on Raw last month. they will face each other yet again.
Shinsuke Nakamura attacks Cody Rhodes
In a video clip captured by WWE, Rhodes can be seen making his way to the backstage area but Nakamura launched a blindsided attacj with his trademark red mist. The 2024 Rumble winner could be seen shown writhing in pain on the ground as the clip ended.
Following this incident, in a tweet, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the announcement that Cody Rhodes will square off against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Bull Rope match on Monday. In the past, they have also had a few bullrope matches at live events. However, this will mark the first time that they will collide in a bullrope match on live WWE programming.
Cody Rhodes has been a fan favorite and recently won the Men’s Royal Rumble match and fans had been anticipating him to ‘finish his story.’ However, Rhodes stepped aside to allow The Rock to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. This booking decision met with a lot of flak from the fans. Read more below:
WWE has made history in Madison Square Garden many times in the past. They ran the famous venue on December 26th, and their trend of historic moments continued. The event was already set to be memorable for many reasons, but they also broke a financial record.
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select, the December 26th Madison Square Garden live event set a massive record. It was the highest-grossing non-televised domestic WWE event ever.
Internal WWE live events reports claim that WWE’s live event in Madison Square Garden was sold out. The event was said to be the highest grossing domestic non-televised event of all-time for WWE.
WWE MSG 12/26 Results:
The event included four championship matches, concluding with the main event between Drew McIntyre and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
In the opening match of the night, Becky Lynch defeated Zoey Stark. Then, Kofi Kingston beat Ludwig Kaiser, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships match saw Kayden Carter & Katana Chance successfully defend against Chelsea Green & Piper Niven.
Omos, accompanied by MVP, and he beat against R-Truth. In the WWE Women’s World Championship Triple Threat Match, Rhea Ripley defended her title by defeating Ivy Nile & Shayna Baszler.
The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships remained with Judgment Day after they defeated Jey Uso & Sami Zayn. That match marked Sami’s return to in-ring action after a short hiatus.
CM Punk secured a win against Dominik Mysterio. Rhea Ripley was with Dirty Dominik during the match, and it also marked Punk’s first WWE match since 2014.
Ricochet beat Bronson Reed. Then, Cody Rhodes beat Shinsuke Nakamura in a bull rope match. The final match of the night was for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a No-DQ Match, where Seth Rollins successfully defended his title against Drew McIntyre.
Cody Rhodes will face Shinsuke Nakamura at the upcoming WWE live event in Madison Square Garden, in a match we’ve not seen in WWE in over a decade.
In recent years, it has become a tradition for WWE to host an event inside the World’s Most Famous Arena on Boxing Day. This year will prove to be no different, with a special match planned for Nakamura and Rhodes. As first reported by Michael Kay of ESPN, the pair will face off in a Bull Rope match at the December 26 show.
BREAKING: @CodyRhodes will face @ShinsukeN in a Bull Rope match at the @WWE Holiday Tour show at MSG on the 26th
Rhodes had previously been scheduled to face ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio at the end. Instead, Mysterio will face CM Punk in the latter’s first WWE match since January 2014.
This match will mark Cody’s first bull rope match in WWE, and his second overall. He previously faced Jay Lethal in a bull rope match in ROH in 2017. This will mark Nakamura’s first bull rope match in his career. WWE’s most recent bull rope match took place in 2009 and saw Hornswoggle defeat Chavo Guerrero in under two minutes. A more competitive match took place in 2007 and saw Randy Orton face Cody’s father the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes.
It’s always hard for a wrestling legend to say goodbye. The business is such a specific esoteric community with its own set of norms and values that wrestlers themselves and their fans know and love. It’s hard to walk away after a long, successful life in that world.
The Great Muta was not only an all time great who earned the respect of his colleagues around the world, but also has had remarkable longevity as a wrestler. He got started in wrestling in the mid-1980s, before becoming a star to American fans at the end of that decade when he brought his ahead of its time aerial offense, martial arts-informed strikes, and—perhaps most iconic of all—his deadly green mist to WCW.
Muta is finally bringing his career to a close, nearly four decades after he first set foot in teh ring. A key step in his farewell process saw him wrestle WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura on New Year’s Day. The finish had unexpected parallels to an iconic moment between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair from a decade and a half before.
How Shawn Michaels Ended Ric Flair’s WWE Career
In 2008, Ric Flair worked his final angle as an in-ring performer in WWE, with the storyline that Vince McMahon proclaimed The Nature Boy would have to retire the next time he lost a match. After getting the better of a series of younger opponents like MVP and Mr. Kennedy, not to mention beating McMahon himself, Flair challenged his friend Shawn Michaels for a bout at WrestleMania 24.
The match was extremely well executed with a poetic finish that saw HBK mouth “I’m sorry, I love you,” to a beaten Flair, before putting his career to rest with Sweet Chin Music. It was a unique, emotional moment that highlighted the real-life respect between the two men and the reverence so many held for The Dirtiest Player in the Game.
Though Flair would go on to wrestle his share of additional matches outside the WWE spotlight, this match was, for a wide swathe of fans, the truest farewell to the Flair they’d known and loved for so many years.
How Shinsuke Nakamura Beat The Great Muta
Shinsuke Nakamura got special permission from WWE to stage a huge match between him and fellow Japanese legend, The Great Muta at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year, an event staged on New Year’s Day.
In an instant classic moment, the bout culminated in Nakamura apparently kissing Muta right on the mouth. Functionally speaking, he was stealing away Muta’s signature green mist, so that the WWE Superstar could spray it in Muta’s face and set up his trademark Bomaye strike (known as the Kinshasa in WWE). The finish was creative and poetic in relation to Muta’s career up to that point. All the more so, that kiss could be read as its own illustration of love for a living legend of the wrestling business.
Parallels Between Shawn Michaels Vs. Ric Flair And Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. The Great Muta
The Great Muta and Ric Flair each performed at the highest levels, including wrestling one another in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While Flair is the bigger legend, Muta holds his own—particularly for a Japanese audience—as another man with a decorated history and a great deal of nostalgia attached to his name.
Flair wasn’t wrestling Shawn Michaels for the first time when they clashed at WrestleMania 24. Rather than the revisitation making the matchup feel stale, however, it added to a sense of history between the two. Similarly, when Muta faced Shinsuke Nakamura, it was a match that had happened before, with a degree of familiarity and previously established chemistry added to the proceedings.
Most importantly, though, the closing moments of each match complemented one another, each cut from the same cloth. Michaels made a move wildly uncharacteristic of pro wrestling when he told his opponent he loved him before knocking him unconscious with his kick finisher. Nakamura arguably did HBK one better in not stating his love, but instead expressing it with a kiss. There was the added poeticism of turning Muta’s famous mist offense against him, before nailing his knee strike finisher to defeat him one last time.
The Great Muta’s match with Shinsuke Nakamura did not, itself, mark the end of his career, but that moment is on the horizon as he has other high-profile matches lined up before his official last bout on January 22. Moreover, Muta put a bit of a stain on the moment with Nakamura by referring to him with a homophobic slur in a press conference after the show. Just the same, the end of the match itself stands as an unconventionally beautiful piece of business, grabbing the attention of fans around the world to kick off 2023.
Shinsuke Nakamura’s step through the ‘forbidden door’ was a triumph for the WWE Superstar who defeated the Great Muta earlier today.
Nakamura’s involvement with Pro Wrestling NOAH’s at their ‘The New Year 2023’ event was announced in late October 2022 and at the time, Nakamura called it a “miracle.”
Muta, aka Keiji Mutoh, is currently on his retirement tour, which is set to end on February 21, 2023 at the Tokyo Dome.
Nakamura Vs. Muta
Given that Nakamura is a contracted WWE Superstar, there was a ton if intrigue going into this match.
Nakamura had a special entrance for the match which included unique attire and his WWE theme music.
The match itself was a fast-paced, physical affair, with Muta using his iconic green mist to gain the advantage.
After Nakamura kicked out of Muta’s shining wizard, the former WWE NXT Champion used a mist of his own, before finishing the legend off with a Kinshasha.
After the match, Nakamura thanked Muta, calling him his idol and the King of Strong Style celebrated in the ring.
The two wrestlers helped each other walk up the stage and posed while pyro went off, bringing the show to an end.
Backstage, an exhausted Nakamura was thankful for the miracle of getting to compete in one of Muta’s final matches.
Shinsuke Nakamura made a name for himself in NJPW and was nicknamed the King Of Strong Style, but decided to make the jump to WWE several years ago, where he found a spot on the main roster.
This Sunday, a rare situation is happening when WWE allows Nakamura to wrestle The Great Muta (Keiji Muto) at the NOAH The New Year show on January 1st, 2023. The match was first announced in October.
While speaking to Yahoo Sports, Nakamura discussed the upcoming match, and during it, Nakamura revealed that Vince McMahon initially declined his request to face Muta. However, when McMahon resigned due to the hush money scandal, Triple H took over and approved the match.
Initial Reaction
“I was like, “No way. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think it would happen. It was something that would never have happened under the previous structure of the WWE. Noah came to me with the idea, and we discussed it, but my answer was no. Vince (McMahon, Chairman and CEO of WWE) stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. I still thought it would be difficult, but I even talked directly to Triple H (WWE’s vice president). When the decision was actually made, I was shaken.”
Nakamura noted that a big change happened between when Mutoh announced his retirement and when the match was decided, as a lot of changes happened when McMahon walked away. Nakamura admitted there was a feeling that many things would change in the future.
The Great Muta recently appeared in All Elite Wrestling to help Sting and Darby Allin against the House of Black at Dynamite: Grand Slam.
The wrestling legend announced that he will be retiring from in-ring competition next year and announced a retirement tour for January.
A match between WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura and The Great Muta at Pro Wrestling Noah New Year 2023 (Jan 1, 2023) was announced this week. It will take place in Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Pro Wrestling Noah had concerns about All Elite Wrestling’s reaction to them working with WWE but apparently, there are no issues at all.
According to Wrestling Inc’s Dominic DeAngelo, Triple H contacted Pro Wrestlng Noah to make sure that the match was still available, and legendary manager Sonny Oono reached out to smooth over any issues.
Noah wanted to protect the newly developing relationship with AEW,” Oono stated, playing the role of facilitator. “I made sure they were no objections from various promotions.
Sting and The Great Muta will team up on January 22nd, 2023 at Noah’s Great Muta Final Bye-Bye event. The partnership between AEW and Noah was also brought together by Oono.
“Sting joining together on Muta’s last event was a wish of Muta,” Oono said, who thinks it’s great for wrestling when you break down barriers. “I’m glad I could help make it possible!”
The professional wrestling world awoke to great shock recently upon Pro Wrestling NOAH’s announcement of Shinsuke Nakamura wrestling the Great Muta at the start of next year.
On January 1st, 2023, Nakamura will battle the Great Muta, also known as Keiji Muto, at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan, amidst Muta’s ongoing retirement tour. The journey to confirm this match, however, wasn’t easy, as Nakamura is still under contract with WWE. An article with Tokyo Sports explained how exactly the dream match came together.
Upon Muto’s announcement of his upcoming retirement, the NOAH organization originally pitched Nakamura as an opponent for him. “Despite initially disagreements, they persistently negotiated with the new structure after the retirement of Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon in July,” Tokyo Sports reported. Under the new leadership of WWE with the likes of Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque, all parties finally managed to reach an agreement on October 26th. Therefore, Shinsuke Nakamura has permission from WWE to appear at NOAH for this special occasion.
The former Intercontinental Champion himself revealed that the match itself is “a miracle” despite the “people in WWE who pushed me back.”
Nakamura continued on to express his excitement for the match, as the two meet for the first time in 14 years. “Of course, I wanted to do it. It opened a door that no one had ever stepped into, or a door that no one had been able to pry open. Ha ha ha…, it’s the real ‘F?rbidden D??r’ (Forbidden Door),” Nakamura said.
Pro Wrestling NOAH dropped a bombshell early this morning as they have announced Shinsuke Nakamura will wrestle the Great Muta on January 1st, 2023 at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Keiji Mutoh will be retiring next February and has been announcing dates plus new matches in the process.
While he will be teaming with Sting in his final match for Pro Wrestling NOAH, he will be wrestling as “The Great Muta” to open the 2023 calendar wrestling year against another Japanese legend.
Shinsuke Nakamura is no stranger to big time matches in Japan. Nakamura is a 3-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and 5-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
Nakamura last wrestled outside of the WWE organization on January 30th, 2016 in his final New Japan match. That was a six-man tag where his team emerged victorious. A team that included Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii.
The Great Muta and Shinsuke Nakamura have wrestled one other time in their careers. As an active member of the All-Japan roster, Muta crossed over to over New Japan Pro Wrestling and defeated Nakamura on April 27th, 2008 to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
This match will take place on the Pro Wrestling NOAH “The New Year 2023” card. Nakamura took to Twitter this morning saying “This is miracle.”
The fact that we are getting a match between a WWE contracted employee and a legendary performer from Japan who is not under the WWE umbrella is astounding.
What’s more surreal about this bout is it’s taking place outside of the WWE promotion. One thing is for sure, this announcement has already made a lot of waves.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Great Muta is not a typo folks. This match between two of the biggest Japanese icons is coming at you in less than two months.
A big-time championship match has been added to tonight’s June 3 episode of WWE SmackDown.
WWE is known to pivot on the fly and while reports suggested that initial plans were to hold off The Usos defending their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles until Money in the Bank, things have changed in recent days.
That report was updated to mention that WWE officials were considering having the match take place at Hell in a Cell this Sunday (June 5).
As it turns out, we’re getting the match far sooner than anyone anticipated.
WWE has announced that The Usos will put their gold on the line against Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura on the June 3 episode of SmackDown.
The company also noted that there will be a six-pack challenge to determine the number one contender for Ronda Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.
That match will feature Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Xia Li, Natalya, Aliyah, and Shotzi.
Fans will also get to see the return of Madcap Moss, who has vowed to get revenge on Happy Corbin.
The plans for the next WWE Tag Team Title match have seemingly been revealed.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that The Usos had not been scheduled to defend their WWE Unified Tag Team Titles at the upcoming Hell In A Cell premium event. That plan could very well change.
Their first defense has been planned to come at WWE’s Money In The Bank in Las Vegas on July 2. Meltzer noted that WWE could very well make a change and have the match booked at Hell in a Cell last-minute.
Their opponents have already been locked in. On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, the team of Matt Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The Usos via disqualification to earn a future Tag Team Title opportunity.
Recently, WWE had to change Money In The Bank to a smaller venue, swapping from the original Allegiant Stadium, as advertised, to the smaller MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Initially, it was reported that the plan was for Roman Reigns to defend the WWE Unified World Championship against Riddle at Money In The Bank.
He would then defend it against Randy Orton at WWE SummerSlam, before defending it against Drew McIntyre at Clash At The Castle in Wales.
While the match with Riddle isn’t officially off, it likely won’t be happening at Money In The Bank now.
Roman Reigns recently signed a new deal with WWE, and will be working a lighter schedule. This could be an indication that he won’t be working the Money In The Bank show in July. He was also taken off of advertising for the event when the venue was swapped.
Currently both Riddle and Nakamura’s original tag team partners, Orton and Rick Boogs, respectively, are out dealing with injuries.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been cleared to return to in-ring action. Nakamura had been on the shelf with a hand injury dating back to mid-December. The winner of the 2018 Royal Rumble noted on his Instagram stories recently that he has been cleared to return.
Nakamura’s last match was on a December 18th, 2021 WWE live event in Rockford, Illinois. He teamed with Boogz on that card and defeated Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss.
Rick Boogz Comments On Shinsuke Nakamura’s Injury
Nakamura’s injury was first revealed by his partner, Rick Boogz, on the Out of Character podcast.
“We’ve only had a couple of tag matches together and he suffered a hand injury that has kept him out for close to two months now, it seems like. I’m looking forward to him being healthy and cleared so we can kick some tail,” Boogs said on the podcast.
“From there, down the road, we’ll branch off, but I’m in no rush with that. There is a new approach, pairing up the seasoned vets with new up and comers and it’s obviously for a reason. It helps get more exposure, TV time, valuable insight. I don’t think he’d be as willing to help me out if I wasn’t with him, Strong Style Shred. What’s his incentive to help me?”
Shinsuke Nakamura is currently dealing with a hand injury. This was revealed by his partner/guitarist Rick Boogs recently on the Out of Character podcast. Nakamura has been wrestling sparingly as of late. His last match was at a WWE live event on December 18th, 2021.
“We’ve only had a couple of tag matches together and he suffered a hand injury that has kept him out for close to two months now, it seems like. I’m looking forward to him being healthy and cleared so we can kick some tail,” Boogs said on the podcast.
“From there, down the road, we’ll branch off, but I’m in no rush with that. There is a new approach, pairing up the seasoned vets with new up and comers and it’s obviously for a reason. It helps get more exposure, TV time, valuable insight. I don’t think he’d be as willing to help me out if I wasn’t with him, Strong Style Shred. What’s his incentive to help me?”
The reigning Intercontinental Champion has Sami Zayn waiting in the wings for him. Zayn won a gauntlet match recently on Smackdown to earn a future IC title match. Zayn recently lost a singles match to Boogs on Smackdown after having been distracted by Zayn on the outside.
Nakamura won the Intercontinental title on August 13th last year from Apollo Crews. It is his second reign with the championship.
